Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the abduction and disappearance of a peace and civil society activist, Mr. Raza Mehmood Khan. Since he was abducted from his house by unknown persons on December 2, his whereabouts are unknown.
Fellow peace activists blame the military establishment for his abduction and disappearance because 2017 has seen many peace activists disappeared and kept in military torture cells. After many months incommunicado, some activists were released.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Raza Mahmood, peace activist and convener of Aghaz-i-Dosti, a friendship initiative between the youth of India and Pakistan, went to his residence after a community discussion with friends and activists on Saturday, December 2, but was never heard of after that. His mobile phone is switched off since then. Raza is also associated with Low-key Lokai, another community initiative that brings people together for dialogues and debates on issues critical to building a peaceful society. The discussion on Saturday was held at Low-key Lokai, about the recent sit-in staged by religious parties and the state’s subsequent “capitulation” to it.
Hamid Nasir Mehmood, Raza’s brother, has filed an application in Lahore’s Naseerabad Police Station, asking police to take notice of Raza’s disappearance. “My brother’s cell phone was switched off on December 2, after which I visited his home but he was not in his room,” Mehmood wrote in the application.
“My brother has been abducted by an unidentified man, for unknown reasons,” he added, requesting the Station House Officer (SHO) to take legal action and address the family’s plight.
The police first refused to file a report of abduction. They said they do not have Raza in their custody, and if he has been abducted by any intelligence agency, the police cannot help. Due to pressure from civil society, they filed a report three days later and said they would probe into the matter.
Being a well known activist, the news of Raza’s disappearance is making rounds on social media with many activists and human rights groups demanding his safe release. People who know Raza said that he was last seen in a ‘heated public debate about extremism and the recent Faizabad sit-in in the city’. On Twitter, social media activists have been using the hashtag #FindRaza while stoutly denouncing Raza’s sudden disappearance. The latest missing person case emerges just a day after the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances revealed before the Supreme Court that 1,498 cases of missing persons are still pending with it.
The peace activists, civil society and human rights based bodies accuse the military establishment for his abduction and disappearance, as with the start of 2017, the military establishment through their intelligence agencies have arrested 14 academics and bloggers, disappeared them and kept them in the military’s torture cells. Four were recovered from the pressure of international community. However, still some are missing. Please see the following;
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-001-2017
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-104-2017
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-STM-004-2017
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-ANM-002-2017
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-021-2017
Additional Information
Pakistan started 2017 off with a crack-down on human rights defenders and bloggers. They raised their voices on disappearances and extra-judicial killings in general and on Balochistan in particular. Pakistan is routinely ranked among the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. Reporting anything critical about the military is like raising a red flag, with journalists being detained, beaten and even killed.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write the letters to the following authorities calling them to immediately recover safely Mr. Raza Mehmood Khan and conduct an inquiry into his disappearance. Those responsible must be criminally prosecuted. The government also must ratify the UN protocol on enforced disappearances.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Working Group on enforced and Involuntary Disappearances, calling for his intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PAKISTAN: Recover peace activist Raza Khan picked up by unknown persons
Name of victim:
Mr. Raza Mehmood Khan, He is from Kasur, resident of Firdous Market, Model Colony, Street 3, House Number 58-C, district Qasoor, Punjab, having national identity card number35102-3310354-7.
Names of alleged perpetrators: Unknown persons, allegendly intelligence agency officials
Date of incident: December 02, 2017
Place of incident: Model town, Lahore
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the alleged enforced disappearances of Raza Mahmood, peace activist and convener of Aghaz-i-Dosti, a friendship initiative between the youth of India and Pakistan.
According to the information I have received, Raza went to his residence after a community discussion with friends and activists on Saturday, December 2, but was never heard of after that. His mobile phone is switched off since then. Raza is also associated with Low-key Lokai, another community initiative that brings people together for dialogues and debates on issues critical to building a peaceful society. The discussion on Saturday was held at Low-key Lokai, about the recent sit-in staged by religious parties and the state’s subsequent “capitulation” to it.
Hamid Nasir Mehmood, Raza’s brother, has filed an application in Lahore’s Naseerabad Police Station, asking police to take notice of Raza’s disappearance. “My brother’s cell phone was switched off on December 2, after which I visited his home but he was not in his room,” Mehmood wrote in the application.
“My brother has been abducted by an unidentified man, for unknown reasons,” he added, requesting the Station House Officer (SHO) to take legal action and address the family’s plight.
I am shocked to know that the police first refused to file a report of abduction. They said they do not have Raza in their custody, and if he has been abducted by any intelligence agency, the police cannot help. Due to pressure from civil society, they filed a report three days later and said they would probe into the matter.
Being a well known activist, the news of Raza’s disappearance is making rounds on social media with many activists and human rights groups demanding his safe release. People who know Raza said that he was last seen in a ‘heated public debate about extremism and the recent Faizabad sit-in in the city’. On Twitter, social media activists have been using the hashtag #FindRaza while stoutly denouncing Raza’s sudden disappearance. The latest missing person case emerges just a day after the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances revealed before the Supreme Court that 1,498 cases of missing persons are still pending with it.
It is appalling for me that the peace activists, civil society and human rights based bodies accuse the military establishment for his abduction and disappearance, as with the start of 2017, the military establishment through their intelligence agencies have arrested 14 academics and bloggers, disappeared them and kept them in the military’s torture cells. Four were recovered from the pressure of international community.
I therefore, urge you to immediately recover safely Mr. Raza Mehmood Khan and conduct an inquiry into his disappearance. Those responsible must be criminally prosecuted. The government also must ratify the UN protocol on enforced disappearances.
Yours Sincerely,
……………….
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi,
Prime Minister
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 51 922 1596
Tel: +92 51 920 6111
E-mail: pspm@pmsectt.gov.pk, info@pmo.gov.pk
2. Mr. Ahsan Iqbal
Federal Minister for Interior
Ministry of Interior of Pakistan
R Block, Pak Secretariat
Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Tel: +92 51 9212026
Fax: +92 51 9202624
Email: interior.complaintcell@gmail.com, ministry.interior@gmail.com
3. Ms. Rabiya Javeri Agha
Secretary, Ministry of Human Rights
State Life Building No. 5, Blue Area,
Jinnah Avenue, China Chowk, Islamabad
Fax: +92 51 9204108
Email: contact@molaw.gov.pk
4. Mr. Justice Saqib Nisar,
Chief Justice of Pakistan
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Constitution Avenue, Islamabad
PAKISTAN
Fax: + 92 51 9213452
E-mail: mail@supremecourt.gov.pk
5.Mr. Rafiq Rajwana
Governor of Punjab
Governor House
Mall Road
Lahore, Punjab
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 99203044
Email: governor.sectt@punjab.gov.pk
6. Mr. Shahbaz Sharif
Chief Minister
Government of Punjab
Province’ Chief Minister
Secretariat’ 5-Club Road
GOR-I, Lahore, Punjab
PAKISTAN
Fax: +92 42 99205065
Email: cmcomplaintcell@cmpunjab.gov.pk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
